Guy from Jersey Walks Into a Comedy Club in Manha…

Guy from Jersey Walks Into a Comedy Club in Manhattan..

Or, how to paint a garage in Chatham when you’re dead

Last night Roger Pitcher debuted his stand-up act at Stand-Up New York.

To tell you the truth, Roger and his friends were a little on edge. A stand-up routine implies a whole lot of structure. And Roger, one of the most spontaneously funny people I know, can turn off in structured situations. Like a lot of funny people, he has a hard time when asked to “be funny now,” or to “be funny for five minutes at 7:15 pm on Friday. “

Going into the club, seeing that stage and that crowd and that microphone, I thought what I knew Roger was thinking…this could go either way. In public. How exciting!

Well, it went the good way big time. He was one in a show of twelve comedians, some seasoned, others, like Roger, taking their first shot. And the crowd (including the other performers) loved him. Not that I’m really surprised.

Roger, who’s done voice-over, delivered somewhere in a range between Jack Nicholson and Steven Wright, steering clear of the latter’s deadpan. His five minutes routine, a stream of hilarious observations about living in “one of the poor houses” in super-affluent Chatham, N.J., had our pal Larry Fix and me howling, wiping tears from our eyes with the beach towels we brought along just in case.

Highlight one: “I got a contractor’s estimate for painting my garage. $12,000. If I’m going to pay $12,000 to get my garage painted, I want it painted by Picasso. I know he’s dead. Just strap his remains to Derek Jeter.”

Highlight two: The annual Salute to Money at the Short Hills Mall. It includes a children’s costume pageant called, The Parade of Currency. “The Euro looked a little trashy.”

Most of the acts were pretty good. Everyone had a kind of shtick or angle–fat guy, single mom, black guy, epileptic gay guy, neurotic opera singer. I must say “Cynical Schmemberg in an Affluent New Jersey Suburb” was easier for me to relate to than a lot of the others (though one guy did a good run on teenage daughters).

So, our boy was in the big league, and he shone. You didn’t have to be there, but you should try to be next time–you’ll be alerted.

I knew him when–
Vanx

Editor’s note: Of the group, Roger is one of only two that didn’t work blue. As such, he and the other guy had to work harder, and it paid off.